Iron Dragon and the Diamond Maiden
by Hatter-Break
Summary: Nyx Fullbuster is an outgoing young girl, and as such she has made it her goal to be the first in Fairy Tail to befriend one of the newest members, even if this means going against her brother, and facing her fear.
1. Chapter 1

It was a surprisingly dull yet peaceful day at Fairy Tail. Not a single brawl had begun yet. A black-haired blue-eyed girl sat in her brother, Gray's, lap, surrounded by a group of her closest friends. There was Natsu, the hot headed fire mage, Lucy, the young celestial wizard, Erza, the powerful titania woman, Juvia, one of the newest members with reign over water, and Happy, the flying cat. They all laughed as Natsu was scolded by Erza for having the nerve to take her strawberry cake. As she laughed, the girl spotted someone and smiled.

"Gajeel! Hey, come sit with us!" A tall muscular man with crimson eyes, long black hair, and a pierced face looked over at her, a quizzical brow raised.

"Nyx!" Gray snapped. She ignored her brother, and beckoned Gajeel over. "Nyx, what are you doing?"

"Inviting him over here," she said, matter-of-fact.

"Look, maybe you're ready to forgive and trust that guy, but I'm not," Gray explained, trying to keep his cool.

"You'll never be ready to trust him if you don't talk to him," Nyx argued.

"But he-"

"I don't care about that." Gray scowled, but dropped the issue as the iron dragon slayer approached.

"What do you need Jewels?" Gajeel asked, using his nickname for Nyx, as he sat beside her and Gray. She was never sure if 'Jewels' was just what he decided to call her, or if he just never remembered her name. Either way, she smiled and shrugged.

"Nothing really, just felt like talking to you." Though her expression and tone showed the utmost cheer, Gray could feel her whole body tense up.

_"She's still afraid of him..."_ Gray thought to himself, his fists clenching, and jaw tightening.

"I told you, I ain't here to make friends with you people," he muttered.

"Fine with us, that means you can just get lost," Natsu said, glaring at the rival dragon slayer. Juvia bit her lip. Gajeel had joined upon her recommendation, and she found the fact that nobody was getting along with him upsetting. Gajeel wasn't bothered by it in the least, and he simply smirked.

"If that's what you want, then maybe I should just stay put right here."

"Yay!" Nyx and Juvia both said in unison, however, nobody else shared their enthusiasm. All of the others just scowled at the man, not afraid to show that they disliked him. He glanced down at Nyx, confusion as to why she was happy clear in his eyes, then he looked away with a huff.

"So...have you taken any good jobs lately Gajeel?" Nyx asked trying to break the uncomfortable silence. He shrugged.

"Sure, they've been alright. None of them were much of a challenge for me, though it seems they are to you." Her brow furrowed.

"Hm? Why do you say that?" she questioned.

"Yeah, why? Nyx has saved us several times. She's strong!" Happy said.

"Then how did you get all of those scars?" Her eyes widened. He was asking about the scars that started on the left side of her face, and ran down the left side of her body, covering her neck, arm, and torso, and filled her mind with frightening memories.

"I...well I uh...they're..." Before Nyx could finish what she was trying to say, Gray bolted to his feet, throwing her from his lap to the ground, and slammed his fist as hard as he could into Gajeel's jaw, sending him to the ground as well.

"Gray!" Nyx snapped. Gajeel stood, wiping the small line of blood from the corner of his mouth, and glaring daggers at Gray.

"What the hell was that for?" he growled. Gray held his cold gaze.

"Get the hell away from us," he demanded.

"What's your problem?"

"I said go away. Go away, and leave Nyx alone." Gajeel put his hands up defensively.

"Hey, she's the one that-" Seeing Gray's eyes ablaze with hatred cut him off. Gajeel glanced at Nyx, then back at Gray. With an irritated huff, he turned and walked away.

"Why did you have to go and do that Gray?" Nyx asked, getting to her feet.

"What do you mean why? That bastard-"

"Don't call him a bastard! Can't you tell he's trying to change? If he had wanted to, he could have punched you right back!"

"So?"

"He didn't! He wants to be accepted! He didn't fight back, even though he had no idea what the hell you were attacking him for!"

"I cannot believe what I'm hearing. Are you seriously going to stand there and defend that guy? Here I am, trying to be a good brother, and protect you, and you're just going to turn around and make me seem like the bad guy? You know what, fine, go ahead and side with him, but don't expect me to look out for you anymore!" Gray finished, throwing his arms up in frustration. Nyx placed her hands on her hips.

"Who ever said I needed you to look out for me? I'm just as capable, if not more so than you are! Besides, I think you need me more than I need you. Who else is going to remind you to get dressed in the morning, and more importantly, to stay dressed?" Nyx snapped, pointing out the fact that he was now standing there in his boxers. He let out a grunt, and sat back down beside Juvia, too angry to bother getting redressed. Nyx bit her bottom lip, and stormed off, her nails digging into her own skin, and her eyes watering.


	2. Chapter 2

_"I'll meet you and the others at Lucy's in a little while Gray. I'm just going to take a walk around Magnolia." Gray nodded._

_"Fine, just be careful. Chances are, that some of those Phantom jerks are still hanging around here." Nyx hugged her brother. _

_"Don't worry Gray, I'll stay safe." He smiled, hugging her back. _

_"Alright, see you in a little while." Nyx made her way through the dully lit streets, trying to get her emotions about the guild's destruction sorted out. She stared up at the star sprinkled sky, and sighed. It pissed her off, and saddened her to no end, and like Natsu, she was frustrated that Master Makarov wasn't going to allow anybody to do a thing about it._

_"Maybe I'll walk around the park..." she muttered to herself. As she made her way there, she heard a girl shriek. She gasped, her eyes widening. "That sounded like..." Without a second thought, she raced in the direction of the scream. "Levy!" She turned a corner, and was terrified to see both Jet and Droy laying, unconscious, on the ground, beaten and bloody. A man with long black hair stood over them, his back facing Nyx. He was holding a limp Levy off of the ground by her neck. "Leave them the hell alone!" she demanded, charging at the man, a diamond dagger forming in her hand. As she went to plunge it into his back, it shattered. She gasped, seeing that in the split second of time she had given him, he had grown steel scales all over his body. He dropped Levy on top of her partners, and the scales receded. He turned to face Nyx, his blood red eyes glinting maliciously, and a wicked sharp toothed grin spread across his pierced face. "Y-you're...Kurogane Gajeel...the iron dragon slayer!" He let out a spine chilling laugh. _

_"So you've heard of me?" Nyx's eyes flicked back and forth between her fallen comrades and their attacker. "What's wrong, dragon got your tongue girlie?" he asked in a harsh whisper, bringing his face an inch from hers. He laughed again. Slowly, her fear melted away into a boiling rage. As he laughed, diamonds formed across her knuckles. Before he knew what was coming, Nyx slammed her crystallized fist into the side of Gajeel's head. He stumbled back several steps, surprise written across his face. He shook his head to snap out of his daze, and chuckled. "You know, I was considering letting you go." _

_"Shut the hell up! You have no right being here!" she yelled, and threw a second punch at him. He grabbed her fist. _

_"I think you have it all wrong..." He threw her to a ground. "You people have no right calling yourselves a guild! You're all so weak, it's pathetic!" Nyx staggered to her feet. _

_"At least we aren't cowards!" she snapped. Gajeel smacked her to the ground again._

_"Shut up!" Once again she stood. Gajeel smirked. "Looks like you aren't going down quite as easily as the others." He jumped back, puffed out his chest, blew up his cheeks, and cupped his hands around his mouth. _

_"Oh no..." she murmured. She recognized that position. It was the same position that Natsu took before using his breath attack. She quickly surrounded herself with a shell of diamond. _

_"Tetsuryu no hoko!" A gray flame erupted from his mouth, hitting the shield forcefully, but not Nyx. She let out a sigh of relief, though it was a moment too soon. The left side of her shell suddenly shattered under the pressure of the attack. Nyx screamed in agony as a searing pain ripped through the left side of her body. She collapsed, her vision and hearing both fading. She could make out the dragon slayer's cruel laugh. "You damn fairies are worthless..." _

"No!" Nyx yelled as she bolted up, her fingers clutching her sheets tightly. Her skin was coated in a thin layer of cold sweat. "It...it was just a nightmare...that's right...Gajeel would never do something like that now..."

"Nyx!" At the sound of her name, her head whipped around to face her doorway. The shout had come from Gray's room.

"Gray!" She jumped out of bed, and ran down the hallway towards her brother's room.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's note: Hey everyone, I know this chapter is very very very late ^^'. I dropped the story quite a while ago, but my writer's brain has been going crazy lately. Sorry if this doesn't quite match up with the first couple of chapters. Thank you for reading, and feel free to leave any comments or criticisms! **

Nyx charged into Gray's room to find him sitting up, holding his head in his hand.

"Gray…" she said gently. "Is everything alright?" With a slight gasp, the ice mage looked up at her, his eyes wide. Without warning, he got up and threw his arms around her.

"Nyx...it was just a dream…" She hugged her brother back.

"I'm sorry Gray...for earlier." He laughed as he pulled away from her and sat on the edge of his bed. "What?" He shook his head.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't treat you like a little kid, we're the same age after all." He sighed. "But after what happened, you're wanting to go and make friends with that bastard." She could feel her frustration bubbling again, but she kept it under control, not wanting another argument to ensue.

"I know you don't trust him...but please, for me, could you apologize to him tomorrow?" He looked up at her, a scowl on his lips and his dark blue eyes ablaze. He didn't even have to say anything for Nyx to understand his answer. "Gray please, just-"

"Go back to bed Nyx." With that he laid down and turned his back to her.

Nyx stood in front of the guild's mission board, staring blankly at it. She was in no mood to complete any sort of mission that day, after Gray had left her in a sour mood. She and her brother had always been as thick as thieves, ever since Gajeel had joined Fairy Tail, they had had countless little spats. With a sigh, she turned away from the board. Not paying attention, she slammed right into something solid, getting knocked to the ground.

"Watch it idi-" Gajeel began to growl, but stopped when he saw Nyx on the ground. She stared up at him, eyes wide. She felt so small next to him. "Sorry…" he grumbled, holding out a hand to help her up. For a moment she just sat there, unmoving. Her gaze went from his crimson eyes to his extended hand, and she shook her head. Her hand trembled slightly as she took his.

"No, I'm sorry, it was my fault," she said getting up. He scratched the back of his head.

"Yeah, well...just be more careful Jewels." With those words, he began to walk away.

"Gajeel, wait!" He turned, but didn't look at her. "I want to apologize for my brother yesterday," she began, her confidence coming back. "I hope he didn't hurt you. The scars are just a bit...touchy." His eyes widened, and he looked at the ground.

"It's no big deal, I didn't even feel a thing." Nyx's brow furrowed. She sensed something was off.

"Are you okay?" He scoffed.

"Of course I'm okay. Just leave me alone," he snapped. With that he, he stomped away to his usual lonely table in the back corner of the guild.

Gajeel sat, brooding, as he kept his eyes focused on the raven-haired nymph across the guild. She had turned back to the job postings after he had walked away. He hated her. Not for anything she had done or said. He hated that no matter how much he did to make things up to the guild, he could never make things up to her. The one person that tried her damndest to care about him, and he couldn't do a thing. He tried to act indifferent, ignorant even, but just looking at her infuriated him. He could see the fear clear in her icy eyes, even when she smiled. He could see the tensity in her muscles when she waved cheerfully. And of course he'll always see the damage he'd done. He hadn't even been angered by her idiot of a brother yesterday. He knew he had deserved it for trying to bring the scars up as if he had no idea what the hell he was talking about.

"Damnit…" he growled to himself. He was further frustrated by the fact that it bothered him as much as it did. Once upon a time he cared about nothing but fighting and destruction. Now he was concerned about what he had done to some girl in the past, and couldn't, for the life of him, figure out why. He watched her until she walked away from the board, looking somewhat defeated, then he let out a huff, laying his head on the table.


	4. Chapter 4

Nyx sat at the bar, head in her hands, and let out a sigh. Mirajane looked at her with concern.

"Nyx, what's bothering you? You're usually so happy." She looked up at the kind woman, giving her a weak smile.

"I'm just...trying to sort a few things out." Mirajane gave her look that said, 'explain', and Nyx let out another sigh. "It's Gray, and Gajeel. Ever since Gajeel started here, I've just wanted him to feel welcome. Gray feels differently though...he hates him. We've been fighting a lot. I haven't really wanted to go home lately, or do any missions." Mirajane rested a hand on her shoulder.

"Fighting? You two never fight. What are you fighting about?"

"Gajeel!" Nyx snapped in frustration, then realized how loudly she had said his name. She looked back to see the dragon slayer looking at her, a pierced brow raised. She turned back, covering her head with her arms. "Gajeel…" she repeated quietly. "Gray just refuses to see any good in him."

"Well, I can't entirely blame him. He's looking out for you, you're his sister. If I were him, I'd feel the same after what he-" Nyx shot her glare and she stopped.

"A few days ago, Gajeel asked about my scars. I suppose he's forgotten where they're from. Gray just punched him. How am I supposed to make friends with someone if my brother just goes and punches him!" Mira let out a small laugh.

"Well, Gray's not here now. Go talk to him, " she suggested. She went under the counter for a moment, then came back up, holding a plate of scrap metal. "Here, if I see Gray, I'll be sure to keep him away." Nyx nodded.

"Thanks Mira." She took the plate and turned around. She saw that Gajeel was still eyeing her, her grip on the plate tightening. She hesitantly made her way over to him. She set the plate down in front of him, and stood there, hands clasped, biting her lip. His eyes flicked between the plate and Nyx.

"I thought I told you, I ain't making any friends here," he grumbled.

"Right...sorry, I'll just-"

"But since you're here, you may as well have a seat." She gave him a small smile, and sat across from him. He picked up one of the scraps, and took a bite. "Thanks Jewels, I'm starving." As he ate, Gajeel couldn't help but sneak glances at the strange girl. She was the last one that should be trying to get anywhere near him, yet there she was. He could feel his frustration bubbling up again. _Why won't she just stay away from me?_ he wondered to himself.

"So Gajeel…" Nyx began. She wanted to tread lightly, but also needed to hear the answer to her question. "Why do you push everyone away?" He coughed a little, taken aback by the question. He stared at her, her blue eyes fixed on him. His eyes fell on her scars. He shook his head and looked away. "Gajeel," she pushed. He never seemed to be able to look her in the eye.

"Why do you pull everyone in?" he countered. He let out a sigh. "Look, if it'll get you off my back, I'll take a mission with you." Though disappointed that she hadn't received an answer, she grinned at the response. Gajeel blinked, still unable to comprehend what could possibly go through the girl's head. "The mission will be one of my choice, and don't go making a big deal out of this." She nodded, her grin still wide. Gajeel just looked at her for a moment, baffled. Baffled by how delighted she could be, despite the fear hiding in her eyes. Baffled by how her smile seemed to dull the edge of his anger. "Meet me here tomorrow," he finally said.

"Alright!"

"Now can you let me eat in peace?" he growled.

"Uh...sure thing, sorry." She stood, giving a small bow. "I'll see you tomorrow Gajeel!" she said, waving as she ran off. Gajeel stared after her, almost excited for what tomorrow would hold.


	5. Chapter 5

When Nyx returned home for the night, she was hoping to avoid Gray, not wanting to give her plan's for the next day away. She had no such luck. Though she was able to sneak past him to her room, as she began packing a couple days worth of clothing, Gray came up behind her waiting in the doorway. He leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed over his bare chest.

"What are you doing Nyx?" he questioned. Surprised, she whipped around to see him, then she looked at the clothes in her hand, then back to him.

"Oh, I uh...I'm going on a job from the mission board tomorrow," she explained. Gray smiled.

"That's great! Am I welcome to join?" She bit her lip. She almost always invited Gray to join her on jobs, but knew that there was no way he could join her on this one.

"I uh...already have a partner," she said, hoping she wasn't making a mistake. He looked somewhat disappointed. Then he shrugged.

"Fair enough, who are you going with?" Nyx froze. She couldn't tell him it was Gajeel, Gray would lose it. Thinking quickly, she said the first name that came to mind.

"Juvia!' she blurted. Gray raised a suspicious eyebrow.

"She didn't say anything…"

"Well, we just made the decision before I got home," Nyx lied. Still eyeing her doubtfully, Gray slowly nodded.

"I see...well, you should get some sleep then," he finally said, his tone gentle. Nyx smiled, and nodded. Whenever Gajeel wasn't involved in the conversation, Gray was sweet and brotherly. She wanted it to stay that way, it was the only justification for her lies to him.

The next afternoon, she quickly made her way to the guild. She wanted to get going before Gray could see who she would be leaving with. She walked through the doors, but Gajeel was nowhere to be seen.

"Come on, where are you…" she muttered anxiously. She spotted Juvia at the job board, and made her way over to her. "Juvia!" The blue haired water mage turned, and smiled at Nyx. "Juvia, have you seen Gajeel anywhere?" She shook her head.

"No, why do you ask?" Looking around to make sure Gray wasn't around, Nyx lowered her voice and leaned in to speak with Juvia.

"I'm going on a job with him today. I was hoping to get out of here before Gray saw us, you know how he is." Juvia nodded in understanding.

"Juvia sees your problem...Juvia would be happy to find Gray and keep him away for you Nyx," she offered. Nyx straightened up, scratching the back of her head.

"Thanks Juvia, but, the thing is-"

"Hey girls!" Gray came up beside them without any warning. "I just wanted to see the two of you off!" Nyx laughed nervously.

"Gray-sama!" Juvia exclaimed, excited to see him. Then her brow furrowed. "What do you mean see us off?" Nyx's eyes widened, and she shook her head vigorously, hoping that she could stop Juvia. "Nyx is the only one leaving, not Juvia." Nyx put her head in her hand, not wanting to look at Gray, though she could feel his stare boring into her.

"Nyx, who are you going with?" he pressed. She looked up at her brother, and her heart skipped a beat. Behind him, the tall raven-haired dragon slayer was approaching her, a knapsack slung over his shoulder. She tried to subtly motion for him to stop, but Gajeel was oblivious. "Nyx?" Gray asked again.

"Let's get goin' short stack!" Gajeel growled. Gray tensed up. Nyx ignored him, hoping he would get the hint. '_Short stack could be anyone,'_ she told herself. Her efforts were in vain. "Jewels, come on!" he ordered impatiently, shouldering past Gray.

"What the hell is going on here Nyx?" Gray demanded.

"I-" Gajeel placed his hand on top of her head.

"She's coming on a job with me, what else?" Gajeel said with a sneer. Gray tore Gajeel's pierced arm away from his sister, and got in between them, challenging the larger man.

"Gray!" Nyx snapped

"She's not going anywhere with you!" Gajeel just stared at Gray with steely eyes. Gray grabbed the collar of Gajeel's black tunic in his fists, shoving him against the job board. Frost began to form on his fists as he moved his face centimeters from Gajeel's. His red glare remained unwavering. "Look at her and tell me you deserve so much as a glance from her!" Gajeel's gaze flicked to Nyx's horrified expression, his eyes only able to focus on her scars, then back to Gray. He muttered something. "What was that?" Gray demanded.

"No," he hissed. Gray's grip loosened. He hadn't expected Gajeel to answer that way, but he quickly regained his anger.

"Gray stop!" Nyx pleaded, grabbing her brother's arm.

"Get off of me Nyx, this bastard doesn't even know what he's done to you!" Lost in his rage, Gray threw Nyx from his arm, sending her to the ground. Gajeel's eyes widened, his pupils narrowing to slits. He had managed to keep his temper, but the line had been crossed. With a roar, he slammed Gray down on to one of the tables. He then lifted him so he was eye level.

"Gajeel, please!" He froze, and looked at Nyx, her icy eyes huge and watery. "Please…" He felt his rage cool as he brought Gray close to his face.

"I know exactly what I've done to her," he said, his tone biting. "I suffer with it every damn day." With that, he put the smaller man down. Gray could do nothing but stare up at the iron dragon. "Come on Nyx, we're gonna be late." Hesitantly, Nyx stood and went to Gajeel's side. He looked down at her, surprised by the rush of pleasure he felt because she had gone to him, not her brother.

"Gray, I'm sorry…" she said in a near whisper, before turning, and walking out of the guild with Gajeel.


	6. Chapter 6

Nyx walked quickly to keep up with Gajeel's large stride. The trip had been silent so far, after the event in the guild, both of them were lost in their own thoughts. Nyx looked up at Gajeel, who had a scowl plastered to his face. She couldn't believe that he suffered because of her. He never even let on that he remembered that night, let alone that it caused him to suffer. He finally noticed that she was watching him. He cocked a brow.

"What are you looking at?" She looked away.

"Sorry…" she mumbled quickly. Gajeel sighed.

"Are you alright?" she blinked.

"What?"

"You fell pretty hard when your brother shoved you." She looked back up at him, meeting his red gaze. She wasn't sure, but it almost looked as though there was concern in his eyes.

"Yeah...I'm fine. I'm sorry he attacked you…" Gajeel just shrugged. He let out another sigh. He couldn't figure out for the life of him why he had snapped. People get shoved in that guild on a daily basis, but watching Nyx get shoved was something he couldn't tolerate. "So Gajeel," she started, pulling him from his thoughts.

"Yeah Nyx?" She was somewhat taken aback. That was the second time he had used her name that day, and never called her by her name.

"What is this job we're going on?" she asked. He fished around his pocket for a moment before pulling out a crumpled piece of parchment. He handed it over to her so she could read it.

"There have a couple of mages using their magic to terrorize a village," he explained. "It shouldn't be too difficult for you." She nodded, looking at the sneering faces of the two mages they would be going after. She sighed and looked at the ground. She pictured that she'd be happier going on a job with Gajeel, but guilt just ate away at her. Guilt over Gray, and guilt over any suffering she caused Gajeel.

"Gajeel...I'm so sorry…"

"You already said that," he growled. She shook her head.

"No...I haven't. I had no idea... " He looked down at her.

"No idea about what?" he questioned.

"You told my brother that...you suffer every day...because of me." He eyes were beginning to water.

"You idiot." She looked up at him with surprise, stopping in her tracks. He stopped as well. "Don't you dare dwell on that, you hear me?" He put his hand on her head, and in a gentler tone added, "Please don't add to my guilt." He bent down so he was eye level with her. "Got it shrimp?" Biting her lip, she nodded. He straightened up, patting her on the head. "Good, lets keep going, we're way behind schedule."

"Right," she agreed, unable to take her eyes from the dragon slayer. As they continued forward, Gajeel couldn't help but steal glances at Nyx, whose eyes seemed stuck to him. Usually if someone stared at him that way, it would piss him off to no end, but now he couldn't quite tell what it was he was feeling. It wasn't anger, he knew that, but it brought a similar warmth. The warmth was more comforting than the heat of rage though. He shook his head a little, casting another look at her.

They reached the village by sundown. It seemed quiet, all of the villagers had settled in their homes for the night.

"Doesn't look like there's much trouble here," Nyx noted.

"Whatever, lets find an inn and take a look around." They were greeted warmly by the inn's owner, and given a room. They left their bags there, and headed into town. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Shops were closed, lights flickered in the windows of homes, and not a single malicious mage in sight. Gajeel let out a growl. "Well this was pointless."

"I don't get it...something's not right here Gajeel," Nyx stated. Though everything seemed so peaceful, she sensed that something was off. She'd been to towns with similar problems, and the inns wouldn't have allowed anyone new in town to stay, windows were boarded and dark, and shops were heavily padlocked. This town was nothing like that.

"You're just imagining things Jewels. Lets go get some shut eye and figure this crap out tomorrow," Gajeel suggested. Hesitantly, Nyx nodded, unable to shake the strange feeling.

It was about dawn when Nyx sat up, her sleep disrupted by a racket on the floor below.

"What the hell?" she mumbled groggily. She got up and went over to the bed where Gajeel was sprawled out, snoring slightly. "Gajeel," she whispered harshly. "Gajeel, get up." She shook the sleeping dragon, and he bolted up.

"What the hell Jewels?" he snapped. She put a finger to her lips to tell him to be quiet. He grumbled something under his breath, but listened, his brow furrowing when the racket from below hit his ears. "Let's go check it out," he said. Nyx nodded in agreement. He got out of bed, but before they could even get to the door, the inn's owner burst into the room.

"Please help! Those mages took my kid!" Gajeel and Nyx looked at each other, then back at the owner.

"Which way?" Gajeel demanded. The man pointed.

"The outskirts of town!" They nodded and ran out of the room.


	7. Chapter 7

As Nyx and Gajeel ran to save the kid of the inn's owner, Nyx grew more and more uncomfortable. There hadn't appeared to be any struggle in the inn, nor even the distant sound of the child, who would've undoubtedly been yelling for help.

"How far could they have gotten?" Gajeel growled. Nyx wasn't sure how to answer, so she just stayed silent. They were running through the woods outside of the village, unsure if they were even going in the right direction without clues or signs to follow. As they were running, Nyx stumbled, but caught herself. She wasn't sure, but she could have sworn that the ground had just shifted beneath her feet. They burst into a clearing and came to a stop. Nyx gasped, while Gajeel let out and eager laugh. At the other end of the clearing stood a man, a young boy in his grasp. "Finally decided to stop running huh? Works for me!" Gajeel's arm turned into an iron blade. Nyx felt something was very wrong.

"Gajeel no," she warned.

"No way Jewels, lets take this guy down!" He began to charge at the man.

"Gajeel wait!" He refused to listen, continuing his charge. Nyx ran after him, as fast as she possibly could. "Stop!" she ordered as she reached him. She managed to shove him to the side, despite the size difference.

"What the hell is wrong wi-" Before Gajeel finished his objection, he realized that Nyx's feet had been trapped in stone.

"I tried to warn you…" she said.

"But-"

"That guy's an illusion. So is the kid, look," she said, motioning with her head towards the two. Gajeel's eyes widened as the two faded away. Then a wicked laugh came from behind a trees, where a man revealed himself. "He's a quake mage," she said, glaring at the man. He laughed again.

"My, my, aren't you the quick little thing?" the man mocked, approaching her. The stone made it's way up her legs. "And here I thought we had you fooled."

"Damnit, you bastard!" Gajeel roared, ready to charge once again, stopped when he realized the man's proximity to Nyx. He knew he couldn't hit him without hitting her. "Let her go!" he demanded. He let out yet another laugh.

"Wise decision dragon slayer," the man taunted. The stone had made it's way up to Nyx's stomach. He grabbed her face. "It would be ashame to hurt such a pretty thing, wouldn't it?" Gajeel glared daggers at the man, his lips curled in a snarl. "Oh wait...it looks like someone already has." Gajeel's eyes widened.

"Shut up!" he snapped, launching one of his iron lances at the man. He deflected it with a wall of stone. Nyx scowled, and bit the man's hand.

"Ah! You little-" She ignored his threat, and focused on Gajeel.

"Just ignore him Gajeel." The dragon slayer gave her a small smile, and nodded. The stone made it's way to Nyx's shoulders, the pressure on her chest making breathing difficult. "Just do what you have to do she urged."

"I don't think that's a good idea," the man warned. "You see, these scars a fantastic...I would love to finish the job." With those words, the right side of the stone trap became jagged, digging into Nyx's skin. She let out a cry of pain.

"No! Stop!" Gajeel roared. "Nyx, put up that shield of yours, now!" he demanded. She nodded with a wince, and put up a diamond shell around her. The man looked at the two.

"Oh? Making a move are you? Just go ahead and try," he said, grinning. Gajeel gave a vicious smirk.

"Gladly!" Gajeel puffed up his chest, and cupped his hands around his mouth. Nyx knew exactly what he was up to. Images of that night flashed through her head, but she did her best to shake them off. She knew Gajeel was different now, she trusted him. "Tetsuryu no-" Gajeel got a glance of Nyx's wide blue eyes. He knew she was trying to be brave, but the terror was written clearly across her face. The agonizing scream that she had let out that night rang through his head.

"Gajeel!" Her shout tore him from the memory, but too late. He had hesitated for one moment too long. A stone pillar slammed into his chest, sending him backwards. He got quickly back to his feet.

"Don't let that shield drop Nyx!" He turned his focus to the man. "You're going down asshole," he snarled. He ran at the man, who was taken by surprise. They traded flurries of punches and kicks, dodging and weaving around each other. All the while, their enemy stayed close to Nyx, hoping to cause Gajeel to hesitate again. Nyx would not allow that to happen though. Every time he would step too close to her diamond shell, she would send a sharp barb out from the shell.

"Don't worry about me," she reassured, hiding another pained wince. The quake mage let out a frustrated grunt as he dodged a kick from Gajeel.

"You can't win like this, you aren't even using your magic," the man jeered, sending more pillars of earth towards Gajeel, forcing him to back away. Gajeel growled.

"Gajeel, he's right, you need to do it!" He looked at Nyx, somewhat surprised, then nodded, his expression becoming serious. He backed away.

"Just don't give out on me this time, got it?" With that, he backed up, puffed out his chest, and cupped his hands around his mouth. The man's eyes widened.

"What are you doing?" he questioned, becoming frightened.

"Tetsuryu no…"

"Stop, you-you'll hurt your friend!"

"Hoko!" Gray flames specked with iron flecks erupted from him, engulfing his enemy, and the shell that surrounded Nyx. As the man fell, the rock around her crumbled, and she allowed her shell to fall apart as well. As soon as the flames cleared, Gajeel saw that his enemy was unconscious. He gasped when he saw Nyx's shield crumble, along with her stone prison. He ran over to the girl, catching her as she collapsed. "Nyx, are you okay?" She laughed.

"I'm fine, just...a little...tired…" she murmured, her eyes slowly closing. Gajeel noticed the numerous wounds that ran down the right side of her body, each wet with blood.

"Damnit, Jewels, hold on!"


	8. Chapter 8

"Damnit Nyx…" Gajeel muttered, holding the unconscious girl. Examining her wounds, he knew he had to stop the bleeding above all else. Without a second thought, he gently laid her in his lap, and tore his tunic off. Taking the fabric in his teeth, he began ripping strips out of it. He located the most serious wounds along her right side, and wrapped them with the black shreds of his shirt. Once he was content with his work, he let out a frustrated sigh. He looked at the unconscious quake mage, then back at Nyx. He needed to get help for Nyx. That was was his priority. After securing the man with iron bars in case he were to awaken before they could return, Gajeel took her in his arms, and hastily made his way back to the village. Running through the thick forest, he tried his best not to jostle Nyx, adjusting his body so his iron scaled arm, rather than her head, scraped along the rough bark of the trees. Arriving in the town, which was rather quiet for the time of day, Gajeel found his way back to the in. As kicked in the door, he looked over at the inn keeper. "Bring me water and bandages!" he demanded. The innkeeper, looking rather frightened, nodded shakily.

"Y-yes sir." Gajeel stormed up to their room, and layed Nyx down on her bed. The innkeeper came in with a bowl of water and the roll of bandages shortly after, then left in a hurry. Gajeel quickly got to work cleaning, and redressing Nyx's injuries, doing his best to be gentle with her petite form. "For such a little thing, you sure do cause me a lot of hell…" he said with a sigh as he finished wrapping the last of her wounds. He examined Nyx, unable to figure out what it was about her that made him feel the way he did. Seeing her trapped had made his heart race with panic. He never panicked. He was a mighty dragon slayer, panic was foreign to him. At least it should have been. He let out a grunt of frustration, then got up, pacing around the room. He sat back on the bed for a while, then paced again. He continued this for at least an hour as he waited for her to open her eyes. Finally he sat, concerned.

"Come on Nyx…" He lifted her up slightly, holding the back of her head. Closing his eyes, he bent over, resting his forehead against hers, his keen nose taking in her unique scent.

"G-Gajeel?" His eyes snapped open, meeting Nyx's wide blue eyes. In his surprise, he nearly dropped her, but managed to keep her upright.

"W-what the hell Jewels?" he asked, his voice louder than he had intended, quickly pulling his hands away. He looked away, his face flushing. Nyx crossed her arms.

"What do you mean what the hell?" she huffed indignantly, her face even rosier than Gajeel's. "Y-you're the one who-"

"I'm just glad you're okay…" he grumbled, scratching the back of his head. Nyx bit her lip. Hearing those words words sent a small flutter to her heart. She rested a hand on the man's knee, and he looked at her, surprised.

"Thank you Gajeel," she said with a smile. His heart skipped. He tried to return her smile, but the confusion about his own feelings turned the smile into something more of a grimace. She let out a small laugh. Before his emotions could baffle him any farther, he stood.

"Well, I gotta go grab the creep from the woods." Nyx's brow furrowed.

"You left him there?" she said, cocking her head.

"Well yeah, I needed to make sure you were alright," he said defensively. She grinned.

"Gajeel, you're a genius!"

"Uh, what?"

"Coming back without the quake mage. To-" She stopped, then lowered her voice. "To throw off the the illusion mage. If you had come back with the defeated quake mage, he would have run off!" Gajeel just looked at her, still not quite understanding what she was saying. She sighed. "You forgot there were two wanted wizards…" She laughed again. "The innkeeper. He's the illusion mage, he pretty much told us when he sent us to that clearing," she explained. Gajeel grumbled something under his breath, earning yet another laugh from Nyx.

"So then, how do we take care of him?" Nyx was somewhat taken aback. Gajeel was never one to ask for a plan when fighting. He always just charged in.

"Well, he doesn't seem terribly strong, so...just do what you do best I suppose." She wasn't really sure what else to say. Gajeel nodded. His recklessness is what had gotten Nyx injured, he didn't want to make another mistake. He held out a hand to her.

"Comin' with me Jewels?" She smiled and nodded, taking his hand. She stood, stumbling slightly due to the pain that shot through her right leg the moment she stepped on to the wooden floor. Gajeel caught her, taking hold of her other hand. They looked at each other for a moment. Gajeel then turned away with a huff. "Just be more careful Nyx."


	9. Chapter 9

Gajeel dropped the unconscious quake mage beside the tied up illusion mage. He rolled the shoulder that the man had been slung over. After having cornered and forced the cowardly illusion mage to surrender, Gajeel had left Nyx to watch him while he went and retrieved the other man.

"Gajeel!" Nyx grinned. "Welcome back. Authorities should be here soon, I contacted them on the inn's lacrima crystal." Gajeel nodded, then motioned outside.

"Some of the villagers are wanting to thank you." Nyx blinked.

"Me? You're the one who-"

"Just come on Jewels," he growled. "You deserve it," he added, his tone gentler. He held a hand out to her. Nyx looked at it for a moment, somewhat surprised, then smiled. She took his hand, which dwarfed her own, and stood, wincing from the pain. Gajeel sighed. Without any warning, he turned and lifted her up on to his back, holding her under her legs. "You really are pain…" he grumbled, making sure she couldn't see his slightly flushed face.

"Well, you don-" As he took a couple steps towards the inn's door, she felt unbalanced, and to keep from falling she quickly clung to him, wrapping her arms around his neck. She buried her red face in the crook between his shoulder and neck, some of his thick hair tickling her. "You don't have to carry me…" she mumbled. As he opened the door, he shrugged.

"I…" Gajeel started to say something, but seemed to change his mind. As they walked down the dirt road of the village, the inhabitants walked up to them, greeting them with huge smiles and gracious words. Nyx carried on conversations with the grateful citizens, and left Gajeel's back to interact with the kids. Gajeel simply replied with grunts and shrugs. He wasn't much for praise. That, and he could only seem to focus on Nyx. Her bright smile and her clear laugh. He was almost blind to her scars now, as he watched how sweetly she behaved with the children. When she looked up at him, grinning, he looked away. Once the the two mages were picked up by authorities, and the villagers calmed down, Gajeel and Nyx settled in their room for the night, which would now be free, courtesy of the actual innkeeper.

"This has been a lot of fun, huh Gajeel?" Nyx asked, sitting on her bed, pulling her knees to her chest. Gajeel was busy digging through his knapsack for the bandages he had thrown in there earlier.

"Sure, whatever you say." He found what he was looking for. He turned to face her. "Get your clothes off," he ordered. Her eyes widened. When he realized what he had asked of her, his own crimson eyes widened as well. "I was...uh, your wounds, I…" he stumbled over words, his face growing warm. Finally he just held the bandages out to Nyx. "You can just do it yourself," he mumbled, looking away from her. It hadn't bothered him before, he had hardly noticed. He had just been in a rush to stop the bleeding. Now that she was wide awake and there was no urgency, the embarrassment overwhelmed him. He wasn't used to feeling embarrassed. Nyx let out a laugh. This was a side of Gajeel she had never seen, and she found it rather endearing. She took the bandages from the flustered dragon, and headed towards the bathroom.

"Thank you Gajeel, I'll be right back." She went into the bathroom, and closed the door. Starting with her leg, she unwrapped the old bandages, and rewrapped her wounds with fresh bandages. When she stepped out of the bathroom, she saw Gajeel standing, staring out the window. She walked over, and leaned on the window sill beside him. He didn't look at her. "We make a pretty good team,"she stated, trying to break the silence. "Maybe...we should go on more jobs together." Gajeel glanced at her, somewhat surprised. His magic still frightened her, he couldn't understand why she'd want to work with him.

"Just...don't do anything reckless." For some reason, his tone became frustrated. "Pull any stunts like what you did this morning Jewels, and I swear I…" He pushed away from the window sill with a huff, and went over to sit on his bed. Nyx's brow furrowed.

"What are you-"

"I'm going to bed." He laid down, back to her, signaling the end of the conversation. She sighed, went to her own bed, and turned out the lamp. Gajeel laid in the dark, vexed by himself. He just couldn't manage to express his concern for Nyx without frustration. He just wanted her to know how frightened he had been that morning.

After getting their bags packed up, Nyx decided it was time to wake Gajeel. She rested a hand on his shoulder, over his Fairy Tail mark.

"Gajeel, come on." She shook him slightly. He simply grunted and rolled over."Gajeel, wake up," she said slightly louder.

"Damnit Jewels, there's no rush," he grumbled groggily. She folded her arms across her chest.

"Yes there is, we're going to miss the boat." This got his attention. His eyes snapped open, and he bolted up.

"Excuse me?" He cocked a pierced brow.

"I said we're going to miss the boat," she repeated. He shook his head.

"I ain't taking a boat. We're walking. Just like we did on the trip here." Nyx's expression became somewhat pouty.

"I can't walk that far Gajeel, my injuries aren't healed. The boat ride will only be a couple of hours," she argued.

"I'll carry you." Nyx's face grew warm.

"N-no, I think it would be best for both of us to relax on the boat." Her ice blue eyes wandered the room, avoiding contact with Gajeel's. Gajeel eyed her. Her bashful behavior was almost...cute? He shook his head. 'Cute' wasn't something he cared about, or paid any mind to. At least, he didn't used to. He sighed.

"Fine, whatever," he gave in, waving his hand. She smiled.

"Well then, we have to get to the harbor before we miss it." Gajeel sighed again, dreading the ride back, knowing he would come to regret his decision.

Nyx ran up the plank to the deck of the boat, and turned to look at Gajeel.

"Come on, what are you waiting for?" Gajeel just stared at the boat, his heart sinking. It was a simple brown ship, some of the wood had various marine flora growing on it. Gajeel shook his head.

"I'll just meet you back in Magnolia. I'm going to-" Her eyes became pleading. Gajeel sighed, and took his first step onto the plank. Slowly he walked up to the boat's deck. Standing on the deck, the creaking of the wood as the blue waves rocked the boat became much more noticeable. Despite this, the ship felt fairly stable. Gajeel relaxed somewhat, thinking perhaps it wouldn't be so bad.

"Lets go to the front of the boat!" Nyx suggested, running in that direction. Gajeel followed taking slow, deliberate steps. She leaned on the ship's railing. "Isn't it beautiful?" she asked in a dreamy tone. Gajeel couldn't help but notice her charm yet again. He let out a soft growl, trying to snap himself out of whatever daze he was in, and looked out over the water. The sun glistened off of the water, making it shine, almost like Nyx's diamond make magic. At that moment, the boat began to set off from the port. As Nyx looked out, admiring the water as it pushed against and tugged at the boat rhythmically, she noticed that Gajeel was being more quiet than usual. She turned, and gaspd. He was doubled over, holding his stomach with one arm, and covering his mouth with the other hand. "Gajeel!" She moved over beside him. "Are you alright?"

"I have-" He retched. "-pretty bad-" Again he heaved, coughing slightly. "-motion sickness," he finished, gagging a bit.

"I had no idea! That's why you didn't want to take the boat…" She took Gajeel's arm and sat on the deck, pulling him down with her. "Come here, I'm sorry…" She positioned herself so that Gajeel could lay his head comfortably in her lap. She rested a hand on his forehead. "Close your eyes." He did as she said with a miserable groan. "You're so much like Natsu," she said with a small laugh.

"I'm nothing...like that idiot," he mumbled, trying to keep from heaving again. She laughed again. She looked down at the sick iron dragon, and watched as his expression slowly became more relaxed. She couldn't believe that this was the same man that once haunted her nightmares. His personality could be rather abrasive, but there was more to him. She moved her hand from his forehead to the side of his face, her thumb softly stroking his cheek. Gajeel's nausea melted away as laid on Nyx's lap, her sweet scent filling his nose. He couldn't believe how relaxing and comforting her presence. Her delicate hand was pleasantly cool on his forehead. His breath caught slightly as her hand moved to the side of his face. Her thumb brushed back and forth on his cheek as rhythmically as the water's waves. His surprise faded, and he allowed himself to be lulled into a serene sleep.

Nyx had let Gajeel sleep on her lap for the entirety of the trip to Magnolia, and now that they were in the port, it was time for her to wake him up.

"Gajeel, get up," she said loudly, knowing now how difficult he could be to wake. He blinked his crimson eyes open, his sleepy gaze meeting Nyx's bright expression.

"Nyx?" he questioned, still not completely awake. He reached up, cupping the side of her face in his hand. She was surprised by his sudden tenderness. As Gajeel came fully to his senses, he pulled his hand away quickly.

"W-we're here," she stated, her face red. He sat up and looked to see the familiar harbor of Magnolia. He scratched the back of his head.

"Right...sorry for falling asleep on you."

"It wasn't a problem." She wouldn't meet his eyes. They gathered their knapsacks and left the boat. Gajeel was happy to be back on solid ground. They made their way up a set of steps and stopped. "Well...I guess this is it," Nyx started awkwardly. Gajeel just looked at her and gave no response. She sighed. "It was fun." Still no response. "I guess...I'll just see you around the guild." She turned, ready to head for her home. She could feel his red eyes still boring into her.

"Jewels." Suddenly he stopped her, grabbing her by her arm. She froze. "I…" She turned to look at him. Their eyes met for a moment. Without any warning, Gajeel bent down to her level and planted a small kiss on her cheek. He quickly straightened up, scratching the back of his head. He turned around his back to her. "I'll catch you around," he muttered quickly, then, letting go of her arm, walked off. Nyx stood stunned. By the time she realized what happened, Gajeel had already disappeared into the crowd. She turned to go home, and gasped. Gray stared at her, mouth agape, and navy eyes wide.


	10. Chapter 10

**Hi everyone! Sorry for the delay, life has forced me to put writing on hold for a while. I'll try to post as much as I can while I have the break. Thank you for reading! Please feel free to leave any comments or criticism! **

Nyx stood for a moment, eyes locked with Gray's. Confronting him was something she knew she couldn't avoid, but her impulses took over. Without thinking, she turned and began walking in the opposite direction.

"Nyx!" she heard him call. It was only moments before he caught up to her and took a tight hold of her arm. "What the hell is going on Nyx? What was that about?" She tried to pull away from him, but to no avail.

"I- I don't know. Leave me alone Gray," she said quickly. He forced her to turn around, and took hold of both of her shoulders.

"Just talk to me Nyx," he pleaded. "You took off with that guy. You tried to do it behind my back. Then you come back and I see...that. What am I supposed to think?" Nyx couldn't meet his intense gaze. She wasn't even entirely sure what had just happened, let alone how to go about explaining it to her brother. "Nyx?" He shook her slightly.

"I...I…" She shook her head, mind buzzing. "He's not a bad person!" she finally snapped, unsure of what else to say. "I like him...a lot. He's not what you make him out to be."

"Then what is this?" he questioned, looking at her bandaged arm.

"It wasn't him, it was the quake mage. He saved me Gray. Whether you can believe it or not, I'm okay thanks to Gajeel." Gray's brow furrowed, then suddenly he embraced her. Nyx was stunned for a moment, then hugged him back. He rested his chin on the top of her head.

"I'm just glad you're alright. Watching you walk out of the guild with him...that was the worst feeling." Nyx remained silent as she remembered the circumstances under which they had parted.

"He...he was just looking out for me, he didn't mean to hurt you." Gray sighed.

"I don't care." Nyx smiled.

"You mean-"

"I don't care what his intentions were. I don't care what kind of a person you'd like to think he his. I think it's best if you stay away from him." Nyx stiffened.

"Wh-what?" She pushed her brother away. "No. You're not dad. You can't dictate what I do Gray," she said, voice rising.

"He's dangerous." Nyx scowled, shaking her head.

"You're unbelievable." With a huff, Nyx turned on her heels and stormed away. She needed desperately to sort out her thoughts. Gray could do nothing but watch as she left.

Gajeel sat in his small, dim appartment, head buried in his hands. He kicked himself mentally. He couldn't quite grasp what had come over him in that instant at the docks. He couldn't understand why being with Nyx seemed to change him, or why he wanted more of that sensation. Furthermore, he couldn't understand why he had just walked away. He should have stayed, tried to explain himself. He couldn't though. Fear wasn't something he was used to, but in that moment he had never been more fearful. With a grunt he fell back onto his couch.

"Damnit…" His mind buzzed. He was tempted to go find the nearest bar and forget the whole thing, but he knew Nyx probably wouldn't approve. Why did he care? He sighed. He knew that by now she must be confronting her brother. She had been so worried about him when they left, he wondered how her brother would react to seeing her again. He wondered if he should have gone with her, or if he would have made things worse. He felt like he was about to drown in his thoughts, so he simply closed his eyes and allowed them to overtake him as he fell asleep.

The guild buzzed with chatter as Gajeel walked in the next day. As usual, nobody really paid him much mind. He scanned the hall for Nyx, but saw nothing. He figured he would just wait for her. He walked up to the bar, where Mirajane was watching over the members of the guild with her usual warm smile. As he approached, her smile grew.

"Ah, welcome back. Did the job with Nyx go well?" He was surprised for a moment. She had never really made a point of starting a conversation with him. To his frustration, he could feel his face flush.

"Uh, yeah. It went alright I guess," he muttered, not really sure how to answer. She smiled as if she knew something he didn't. With little else to say, he dropped a few jewels on the bar. Mirajane quickly grabbed him a plateful of scrap metal. Food in hand, he made his way to his usual table in the back corner of the guild. As he ate, he kept an eye on the doors, waiting for the raven haired fairy to make her entrance. At last he saw the familiar face of her brother. He perked up, sure that she would be following close behind. He noticed that Gray was making a straight path for him, and Nyx was nowhere to be seen. His brow furrowed. Within moments, the ice mage had arrived, slamming his hands on to the wooden table across from the dragon slayer. Gajeel saw a thin layer of ice form on the table around the other man's hands.

"Where the hell is she?" he demanded. Gajeel swallowed the bite in his mouth.

"What?"

"You heard me! Where is she damnit?" he roared. The whole guild seemed to go quiet as they became the center of attention.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Gajeel growled.

"Nyx! Where is Nyx?" Gajeel's eyes widened.

"What do you mean where is she? She went home yesterday." Gray shook his head. For the first time, Gajeel noticed that his eyes weren't burning with anger, they were swimming with worry.

"After I saw you two at the dock, we...she ran off after we spoke. She never came home last night. I figured she went to you." He spat the last part with venom. Gajeel gritted his teeth. Without a moment of hesitation, he leapt to his feet, knocking his plate to the floor, and ran out of the guild.


	11. Chapter 11

"Nyx!" Gajeel ran through the streets of Magnolia, calling out for the missing girl. He scanned the crowds desperately. He had already checked the Fairy Tail girls' dorm. He figured that she had to have found somewhere to sleep if she never went home last night. They wouldn't allow him in to look for her, and they gave him a bit of difficulty when he tried to ask about her. Finally he had caught sight of Juvia, who had told him she hadn't seen Nyx since she left with him. His first instinct after that was to check the station. He had to be sure she was still in the town. Once he got there, he shoved through the lines of people waiting to get tickets, ignoring their angry shouts and comments. He slammed his hands down on the ticket booth, and the girl working it looked up at him, terrified.

"C-can I help you s-sir?" she asked nervously.

"Did a girl with black hair and blue eyes come through here?"

"I-I don't-"

"Damnit, think! She's about this tall," he said motioning with his hand to a little below his shoulder. "And she's got scars all down her left side." He explained the last part, his voice trembling slightly. The girl at the ticket booth shook her head.

"I haven't seen anyone like that come through here." Gajeel relaxed, letting out a sigh of relief. He muttered a quick 'thanks' to the girl, and hurried back to his search. He didn't know where else he could look, and his agitation escalated. As he wandered the streets, his search seeming more and more hopeless, something dawned on him. He had yet to check the park where they first met. He wasn't sure she'd be there, since they hadn't exactly met under good circumstances. He flinched at the thought of their confrontation, but he knew he had to look everywhere.

"Come on Nyx, please be there…" The park was quiet in comparison to the busy cobblestone streets of rest of Magnolia. The buzz of the crowds seemed distant as he went deeper into the park. The only sound was the breeze rustling the trees. As the wind picked up, a familiar scent tickled his nose. He whipped around in the direction the wind was blowing from. "Nyx!" He ran until he came to the largest tree in the park. He recognized it by the remnants of metal restraints and scarring to the bark. He walked around to the back of the tree, and at the base laid Nyx, sound asleep. He sighed and kneeled beside her, brushing strands of black hair out of her face. "You idiot…" He sat back against the tree and pulled the girl on to his lap. As he moved her, she began to stir. Her delicate hand took a hold of his shirt as she sat up. Her blue eyes blinked open.

"G-Gajeel?" she murmured, her voice laced with sleep. Suddenly she snapped into awareness. "Gajeel!" She let go and tried to back away from the dragon, but he just pulled her to him, wrapping her in a warm, albeit unexpected, embrace.

"Uh-uh. You ain't going anywhere, you've already caused enough trouble." Slowly she relaxed into his arms.

"Gajeel, I-"

"What the hell were you thinking? You...I…" He let out a frustrated grunt at being unable to get his words out. Instead of his words, he hugged her tighter, crossing his legs around her. Not sure what else to do, Nyx wrapped her arms around his neck, returning his hug.

"I'm sorry...I just needed to think. Away from Gray, away from you. You're both too distracting. Guess I must have fallen asleep," she said, letting out a small laugh. "I mean, you left me pretty confused yesterday." She pulled away from him slightly, scanning his face. His usual stern expression was there, but his crimson eyes were different. There was something there that she couldn't quite identify. She rested her hands on the sides of his face. "You didn't even give me a chance to react."

"Wha-" Before he could finish he was cut off by her lips on his. Gajeel was shocked for a moment, but then he relaxed, closing his eyes. Her taste mingled with her scent. As much as the moment exhilarated him, it also opened the way for a small doubt. This girl feared him, and had every reason to. He didn't deserve so much as a glance from her, yet here she was, giving him so much more. When they pulled away, they looked at one another for a moment. Gajeel then looked away from her, an embarrassed scowl appearing on his features. Nyx let out a laugh as she grinned at him.

"Gajeel, I-" He rested a hand on top of her head.

"We should get going before your brother has my head." A small gasp escaped her.

"Oh no, Gray! I completely forgot…" Gajeel got to his feet, lifting Nyx up with him. He carried her all the way back to the guild without a word. He put her down as they walked through the doors, and her friends were upon her in an instant. "Guys, guys, I'm fine," she insisted, as Lucy, Happy and Juvia bombarded her with questions.

"Nyx! You're safe!" Gray exclaimed, running up to her. She nodded.

"I'm sorry Gray, I shouldn't have run off like that." He shook his head.

"I'm just glad you're alright." Nyx laughed.

"So glad you couldn't keep your shirt on?" He shoved her gently.

"Shut up. Come on, Mira has some lunch waiting for you." He began to pull Nyx away, but she stopped him and looked back at Gajeel.

"I'll catch up with you later," he assured her, unable to meet her eyes. She smiled and nodded. Gray pushed her gently in front of him. Once she had walked away, Gray glared up at the larger man.

"Stay away from her," he warned. "You're no good for her, and you know it." Gajeel just held his gaze for a moment. Finally with a huff he turned his back to him and waved a dismissive hand.

"Yeah, whatever," he grunted. Though, as he walked away, Gajeel couldn't help but wonder if Gray was right.


	12. Chapter 12

"Gajeel!" Nyx exclaimed as she ran towards his back corner table. The dragon slayer looked up, at the sound of his name, then quickly looked down. She sat herself down beside him, looking him over. "Is something wrong?" He glanced down at her. Her blue eyes were clouded with concern. He couldn't help but smile. He ruffled her hair.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Her face split into a grin. He looked away, scratching the back of his head. "So uh...you made it home last night?" She nodded.

"Yeah...I'm sorry. I caused you a lot of trouble yesterday…"

"Don't worry about it Jewels," he grumbled, flushing at the thought of the previous day's events. Her brow furrowed.

"Where did you go yesterday? I was hoping I could get Gray to talk to you, but you ran off." Gajeel's jaw tightened. "Gajeel?"

"I figured I should let you have some time with your brother," he said quickly. "I mean, you've been with me with the past few days. I'm sure you needed a break." She shook her head vigorously.

"No, not at all!" He chuckled, turning to look at her. He was surprised to see how close her face was. He bit back the temptation to take her lips, and sighed as Gray's warnings reverberated through his head.

"Actually Nyx, I need to talk to you, I-"

"Hey guys, over here!" She suddenly jumped up and began waving. Gajeel looked across the guild to see her group of friends making their way over, including her brother.

"Damnit Jewels!" He grabbed her shoulder and pushed her back to the bench, but it was too late. The blue cat, Happy, flew around Nyx's head excitedly.

"Good morning, good morning!" She laughed.

"Good morning Happy!" The others, Natsu, Erza, Lucy, and Juvia approached with smiles and warm greetings, though, other than Juvia's, none were aimed at Gajeel. Gray, who was trailing behind, caught Gajeel's eye. At first he looked surprised to see the iron dragon, then his face contorted into a hateful scowl. They sat around the table, and Gray took a seat across from Nyx. Natsu slammed his fist to the table eagerly.

"Anyone up for a job today? Come on Nyx, what do you say?" She laughed a little, but before she could answer Erza hit him in the back of the head.

"You idiot, she still has injuries she needs to recover from," the red head snapped, crossing her arms.

"Yeah Natsu, lets just take a break today," Lucy chimed in. Natsu looked disappointed, but let the topic go. Gajeel tuned out the rest of the chatter as he held Gray's steady glare with his own. The longer he looked at the navy eyes, the more his rage began to boil. Nyx picked up on the palpable tension and rested rested a hand on Gajeel's arm, hoping to calm him. Her brother's glare was a challenge. He was just waiting for Gajeel to prove himself as the monster that everyone saw him as. Waiting for him to hurt Nyx. His eyes quickly darted to glance at the girl in question. She was still on his side, despite her brother's disapproval. Her comforting hand showed her trust in him, despite what he had done to her. Suddenly Gray's threats and Gajeel's own doubts meant nothing. Gajeel got to his feet, eyes still locked with Gray's. The others went silent.

"We already have plans, come on Nyx." She blinked, confused.

"Wh-" Before she could finish, he grabbed her hand, brought her to her feet, and pulled her out of the guild. "Gajeel! Gajeel, slow down!" She was jogging in an attempt to keep up with his stride, but still fell slightly behind. "Stop!" Her voice finally got through to him. He stopped, back still to her. She let out a sigh. "What did Gray say to you? Is that what you needed to talk to me about?" His grip on her hand tightened reflexively.

"He told me I should stay away from you. To tell the truth, I almost agreed with him." Nyx bit her lip.

"You're not actually going to listen to him, are you?" she questioned incredulously.

"Of course not!" he snapped, a little more forcefully than he had meant to. He turned to face her. For the first time he felt that he could actually meet her eyes and hold her gaze. "Of course not," he repeated in a gentler tone. "But…" Nyx cocked an eyebrow.

"But?" As his eyes went over her scars, the doubts began to return. Once his eyes moved to her bandaged wounds, which she only sustained due to his recklessness, the doubts became hard to ignore. As his eyes once again locked with her icy blues, he was able to push them aside once more. Taking a quick glance around the area, Gajeel pulled her close and kissed her deeply. He pulled away from her, wearing a confident smirk, fueled by the stunned bliss in her expression.

"But nothing. You're sticking with me. Who else is going to keep you out of trouble?" He rested a hand on her head, then leaned over so he was eye to eye with her. "Got it Jewels?" Beaming, she nodded.


	13. Chapter 13

Gray sighed, laying his head down on his arms. Juvia sat beside him at the guild bar, wanting desperately to comfort him, but not quite sure how.

"Gray-sama…" she murmured.

"I just...don't know what the hell I'm supposed to do Juvia," he stated. "I'm losing her. We promised each other we'd stick together, but now…" He sighed again.

"What if you tried to...accept Gajeel-kun? As Nyx-san has," she suggested tentatively. Gray's jaw tightened and his fists clenched.

"I can't do that…" he growled through gritted teeth.

"You've accepted Juvia. Juvia came from the same guild as Gajeel," she pointed out, biting her lip. Gray shook his head.

"You're nothing like him!" He turned to look at her, his expression stern. Suddenly his eyes betrayed pain, and a little fear. "You didn't see her laying there, at the base of that tree. He did a number on Levy and the others, but Nyx...I thought she was dead. The left side of her body was...it was shredded. I'm sure he enjoyed it too." Juvia rested a hand on his bare shoulder.

"He's different now…" she said quietly. "He really does care for her." Gray was silent for a moment.

"I know he does," he finally said. "I just can't bring myself to trust him. He cares for her now until he loses control, or realizes the rush he could get by going back to the way things were." Juvia shook her head.

"He wouldn't."

"I can't know that. Even watching him walk off with her this morning terrified me." His eyes focused on the grain of the bar.

"But you didn't stop them, Gray-sama?" He laughed bitterly, shaking his head.

"No, I didn't. Nyx's eyes...when she looked at him she wasn't afraid. She was always afraid, but not this time. There was something different this time." Gray let out a frustrated huff, then glanced at Juvia. He could clearly see the disapproval in her eyes, but he knew she would never admit that she disagreed with him. Still, that disapproval brought on wave of guilt, which Gray quickly drowned out. He knew that if he let go of his distrust for even a minute, Nyx could be in danger.

Nyx shuffled through a pile of job requests that Gajeel had thrusted into her hands. He had asked her to pick one that was to her liking. She sat under a tree in the park, leaning her back against the iron dragon slayer's side. They had spent the peaceful afternoon talking, with Nyx holding up most of the conversation, until Gajeel had, at some point, fallen asleep against the tree. Nyx couldn't help but smile and laugh as he snored, and occasionally grumbled gibberish. As she looked through the papers, a job caught her eye. It wasn't the job itself itself that excited her, but where the job was located. A business was requesting wizards to use their magic to draw crowds at Akane Beach. She grinned at the thought of getting to relax on the beach for a while.

"My magic is flashy enough for this... " she murmured to herself as she read the details. She glanced at Gajeel. She knew that he wouldn't be particularly thrilled with her choice, but he did tell her to pick. She heard him sigh, and his head fell to her shoulder. She laughed as his thick, black hair tickled her face. Nyx pushed his head up. "Gajeel!' she said still laughing. He stretched as he slowly came to.

"What do you need Jewels?" he asked drowsily, followed by a yawn. She held the paper out to him.

"I've decided on the job." Gajeel sat up with a slight grunt, then took the paper from her hand. As he read through it, he scowled. He then looked up at Nyx, one of his pierced brows raised.

"No," he stated simply. Her blue eyes became pleading.

"Come on, why not?"

"My magic isn't for some damn show and tell," he snapped. "And neither is yours." Gajeel's words brought a smile to her lips, but she wasn't giving up.

"I know it's not the best job, but look." She pointed at the description. "It's at Akane beach. I would love to spend a couple of days at the beach!" Gajeel let out a gruff laugh.

"That's why you wanna take this job?" She nodded. Gajeel sighed. "Nothing too flashy, got it?" Nyx grinned.

"Well, no promises there, but…" He pulled her close with one arm, kissing her forehead.

"You're a pain in the ass sometimes…" he muttered, his tone playful. "Well, guess we should be getting prepared to leave in a couple days. And Nyx, tell your brother the truth this time." She bit her lip and nodded sheepishly. He got to his feet and then helped her up. "Lets get going." Nyx nodded, already going through the potential outcomes of her nearing conversation with Gray.

Nyx slowly pushed her front door open, peeking inside. Seeing no sign of Gray, she stepped in quietly and closed the door behind her. The moment the door clicked, she heard footsteps coming from the kitchen.

"Crap…" Gray appeared within moments, wearing nothing but his boxers. "Gray, put your clothes on!" she nagged. He looked himself over, not even surprised by his unconscious habit anymore.

"Glad you're home. Where have you been?" Once upon a time, Nyx would have thought her brother was just starting conversation, but now she knew he was prying for different reasons. She walked over and took a seat on the couch, letting out a sigh.

"I was with Gajeel," she said tentatively. She could clearly see Gray tense up, and his displeasure fell off of him in waves, but when he said nothing she felt it was safe to continue. "We, well I, was looking through some job postings and it looks like we'll be going to Akane beach in a few days," she explained. Gray shook his head, then sat down beside her.

"No way. You are not going to the beach with him," he said, crossing his arms. Frustrated with her brother, she grabbed the pillow from beside her and whipped it at him. He held his arms up in defense. He grabbed the pillow as it hit him, and threw it aside. "Damnit Nyx! I'm serious," he snapped.

"I am too Gray! Gajeel is not some monster, he just-"

"He just nearly ripped you to shreds!"

"I've told you I don't care about that. He regrets it. He's changed Gray, why can't you see that?" she asked desperately. His gaze became intense.

"Because all I can see when I close my eyes is you laying on the ground, lifeless." There was a long, heavy silence. Finally Nyx rested a hand on her brother's knee.

"Gray, I understand what you're saying, where you're coming from. I get it, really I do, but please...try to do the same for me." Gray's jaw tensed and relaxed a few times as he contemplated her words.

"Fine, go to the beach with him." Nyx grinned. "I'm going with you guys though." Her eyes widened and her smile fell slightly.

"Wait, what?" Suddenly, someone charged into the room.

"Juvia would love to accompany Gray-sama to the beach!" Nyx looked over at the bluenette, surprise written across her face.

"Juvia, have you been here the whole time?" Nyx questioned incredulously. Her friend nodded. Nyx looked back and forth between Gray and Juvia, a quizzical eyebrow raised. She shook her head and moved past her confusion.

"Uh, yeah. That could be fun I suppose." Juvia smiled, clapping a little, and Gray grinned as well.

"It's settled then, we'll all spend some time at the beach," he stated decisively. Nyx sighed, not exactly unhappy, but a little worried.

"Gajeel is going to love this…" she muttered.


	14. Chapter 14

Nyx walked slowly towards the guild, a little nervous to see Gajeel. She wasn't quite sure how the dragon slayer would take the news that her brother would be joining them on the next job. She turned the corner and saw the raven haired man standing outside of the guild, his pierced arms crossed.

"Good morning," she stated simply as she approached him. His crimson eyes scanned her. He knew something was off.

"So...did you talk to your brother?" he questioned, a brow quirked. She laughed nervously, scratching the back of her head.

"Well, you see...about that-" Suddenly the big oak doors of the guild flew open, and before she knew what was happening, Nyx was caught between Lucy and Juvia. Each of the girls had taken one of her arms captive, and in Lucy's other arm was Erza. "W-wait, what are you-"

"We're going to the beach, right?" Lucy asked with a grin. "We need a girl's day out to get ready!" Nyx's eyes widened, and she looked at Juvia who, she assumed, had been the one to tell the others about their plans. The water mage just smiled. Gajeel stared on, looking both surprised, and a little frightened.

"Erza, say something!" Nyx implored. The red head shrugged.

"I thought it seemed like a rather good idea. It's always good to bond with guild mates," she explained. With that, they began to drag Nyx off towards town.

"Nyx, wait! What the hell?" Gajeel shouted after them, not entirely sure what had just taken place.

"You guys should be getting ready too!" Lucy shouted back over her shoulder. He stood there dumbfounded. After a moment, Natsu, Gray and Happy stepped out of the guild.

"You heard the girls!" Happy said eagerly.

"What?" Gajeel snapped.

"Yeah, why should we hang out with bolts for brains?" Natsu growled, glaring at the taller man. Gray glared as well, but stayed silent. "Who said you could come to the beach with us anyways?"

"It was my job to begin with you flaming idiot!" The two got right in each other's faces, eyes blazing. Happy let out a sigh.

"Oh boy...I'm gonna need lots of fish after today…"

Juvia stepped from behind a curtain, giving a small spin. She had changed into a pale blue bikini. In the right light it shimmered like the scales of a fish. Lucy let out a small squeal.

"That's perfect Juvia!" Erza nodded in agreement.

"Yes, it suits you quite well!" Juvia turned to Nyx, whose mind had wandered.

"What do you think Nyx-san? Will Gray-sama like it?" she questioned nervously. Nyx shook herself away from her thoughts and looked over her friend. She smiled.

"I think he'll love it Juvia," Nyx assured with a nod. With a grin she disappeared back behind the curtain. Nyx let out a sigh. "Well, if everyone's gotten what they needed, I'm going to get going…" She started to stand, but was stopped by Lucy.

"You haven't gotten anything!" Nyx shook her head.

"I don't need to, I wasn't planning on going into the water," she pointed out.

"That doesn't matter," Lucy argued. "We have to find you something to really wow Gajeel," she added as she began to scan the bathing suits. Nyx flushed a deep pink.

"N-n-no, I don't really think-" Juvia came out from behind the curtain.

"Juvia agrees with Lucy!" Nyx groaned.

"You guys don't get it, I just...I can't wear things like that," she tried to explain.

"Nonsense, you've got the perfect body for these!" Lucy held out several different bathing suits. "Now try them on!" She pulled Nyx up, and, after shoving the clothing into her hands, ushered her into the fitting room. Nyx looked at herself in the mirror and sighed. Begrudgingly, she changed into the suit that appealed most to her. It was a gray two piece with an elegant black pattern of lines. She grimaced at her now exposed scars. She knew and accepted that portions of the scars couldn't easily be covered up, but she was still very self conscious of them. Having most of them now uncovered made her feel uncomfortable. She stepped out from behind the curtain, hugging herself, covering what she could. All three girls grinned.

"It looks great on you!" Lucy assured. Nyx laughed nervously.

"Really?" They all nodded. She let out a small sigh. She assumed that, being her best friends, they had become somewhat blind to her scars. With a soft laugh, Nyx smiled. "Alright, then I'll get this one," she said, giving in. Juvia grinned, nodding in approval.

"Excellent choice," Erza said, also voicing her approval.

"Hurry and change so we can grab some lunch!" Lucy urged. Complying, Nyx went back behind the changing curtain, examining her scars one last time before changing.

Four Fairy Tail girls walked towards the guild, chatting and laughing, though their cheery attitudes quickly faded as a nearby ruckus reached their ears. Nyx let out a groan as she recognized the noise.

"The boys are so loud," Lucy stated, rolling her eyes. Erza crossed her arms and scowled.

"Honestly, will they ever stop with their nonsense?"

"If only they'd get along," Juvia said, somewhat distressed.

"I'm going to go see if I can't calm them down." With that, Nyx broke into a run towards the guild. The shouting grew louder as she got closer and soon she could see the three men responsible for the noise. "Guys!" she yelled, trying to get their attention, but it was in vain. "Guys!" she shouted again as she got closer. They still didn't hear her. Happy walked up to her, looking rather exhausted.

"I'm so glad you're here, they've been at this all day." Nyx laughed.

"No surprise there." She marched up to the boys, placing herself between Natsu and Gray, who stood beside each other, and Gajeel, hands rested on her hips. The look she gave the iron dragon slayer stopped him mid sentence. "What the hell is going on?" she questioned. He just stared at her for a moment, crimson eyes wide.

"I...I...well they…" he stumbled over his words, scratching the back of his head sheepishly. "Flame head started it…" he finally grumbled, not meeting Nyx's eyes. She turned to the other two. She shot a quick look at her brother, knowing full well that she'd get nothing from him, then focused her attention on Natsu. His golden eyes were ablaze.

"It's not my fault that that hunk of metal has an attitude," Natsu snapped. Nyx sighed.

"Guys, we're going to the beach in two days. For the sake of everyone, can't you at least try to get along?"

"We aren't the ones you need to worry about." Nyx ignored Gray's comment. There were a few moments of silence.

"Fine," Natsu finally growled. Nyx turned back to Gajeel.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever…" She smiled.

"Impressive!" Erza stated as the three girls approached them.

"Where have you been all day anyways?" Gajeel questioned, looking down at Nyx. He noticed the bag in her hand. "Hey, what's that?" He leaned over her, attempting to peer into the bag. She quickly hugged it to her.

"Nothing! It's nothing," she blurted out. Gajeel raised a brow. "Really, it's nothing!" she repeated, though she could tell that he still wasn't convinced. He eyed her for a moment, then let the issue drop, hoping that perhaps she would tell him later. "Well, I'm tired, so I think I'm going to head home for the day," she said, coming up with an excuse to go home and hide the new bathing suit away.

"I'll go wi-"

"No that's fine, thank you though Gajeel." He frowned. "I'll see you tomorrow!" She stood on the tips of her toes and planted a quick kiss on Gajeel's cheek, before turning and running off.

"What the hell?" he muttered. Gray gave a smug look and a small wave before turning and following after her.


	15. Chapter 15

**Author's note: Hello everyone! I know a lot of you have been eagerly awaiting this chapter, and I'm very sorry for such a big delay. I hope it lives up to expectations! Thank you so much for continuing to read and support my writing! Feel free to leave and comments or criticism! Enjoy~ **

Nyx stepped off of the train, taking in a big breath of the salty sea air. She couldn't help but smile. Lucy stepped off behind her, stretching and letting out a contented sigh.

"Oh, I'm so excited!" she cheered eagerly.

"The beach, the beach!" Happy chanted, running off the train, jumping with excitement. Erza followed him, a small smile on her lips.

"This will be quite refreshing, won't it?"

"Come on Gray sama, stay with Juvia!" Juvia pulled Gray off of the train behind her. His expression was sour. Nyx had refused to sit beside him on the train ride, and had chosen to instead sit with Gajeel to help him through his motion sickness. After a few moments, Natsu and Gajeel stumbled off of the train. Both of them appeared ill, though Natsu seemed a little worse for wear. Nyx rushed to Gajeel's side to support him. He was about to push her off. He was an iron dragon slayer, he didn't need a little girl to help him. Then he looked at her, and the concern that welled in her blue eyes stopped him.

"Are you alright?" she questioned.

"I'll be fine," he muttered, looking away from her, but resting a hand on her head. She grinned, and pulled on his arm.

"Good, then lets get to the inn. I was hoping we could make it to the beach for sunset tonight." The group made their way towards the inn they had decided on. After arriving and checking in, they took the hallway that led to the two rooms they had paid for. Nyx stopped at the first door. "Let's take this room Gajeel." He nodded. Natsu grinned.

"Alright, Happy and I will-" Gray shoved the salamander away from the door. Natsu glared at him. "What the hell's your problem!"

"I'll be taking this room," he stated simply. Nyx gave him a look of utter exasperation. Juvia quickly clung to his arm.

"Then Juvia will take this room as well!" Natsu moved on to the next door, muttering something under his breath. Happy and Erza followed him.

"So after we change, we'll meet you guys out here?" Lucy suggested. Nyx nodded, and opened the door. The room consisted of two large beds and one bathroom. The wall opposite the door was a large window the looked out over the small seaside town. With a happy giggle, Nyx flopped on to the windowside bed.

"Isn't this great?" Gajeel sat beside her.

"It's alright I guess." Gray cleared his throat, his eyes blazing as he looked at Gajeel.

"I thought we were supposed to be getting changed?" Nyx scowled at him

"Relax Gray, we're here to have fun. Don't go ruining it for us." He opened his mouth to protest, but Juvia quickly ran over, grabbed Nyx by the wrist, and pulled her up.

"Why don't we go get changed Nyx san?" Nyx nodded, grabbed her bathing suit from her bags, and followed Juvia to the bathroom. Once the door was closed, Juvia looked at her with sad eyes. "Juvia doesn't like when you and Gray sama fight." Nyx sighed.

"I'm sorry Juvia, it's just..."

"They'll learn to get along eventually because they both care for you," Juvia said with a reassuring smile. Nyx smiled back, Juvia's words giving her a bit of optimism.

"I hope you're right." The girls changed quietly, and once they were both done, Nyx knocked on the bathroom door. Gray had changed into navy blue swim trunks, while Gajeel sported black.

"You can come out," Gray responded. Juvia stepped out first, giving a little spin to show off her bathing suit.

"What do you think Gray sama?"

"It looks fine," he said flatly. Juvia's smile fell.

"Did Juvia pick the wrong one? Would you have prefered a different color? A different style?" She sounded as though she was ready to cry. Nyx stuck her head out of the bathroom and shot Gray a stern look. He seemed to panic for a minute.

"Oh, uh...uh no! That's not it at all! It looks great on you Juvia, really," he quickly blurted out. With those words, her spirits seemed to lift again, and she threw her arms around him.

"Juvia is so glad!" Nyx's attention wandered towards Gajeel, and as he eyes fell on him, she could feel her cheeks grow warm. His eyes met hers, and he raised a brow.

"What is it Jewels? Are you coming out or what?" She suddenly felt self conscious.

"Well, I uh...I might just change back into my clothes, I mean...I'm not going into the water, and-"

"Just come on." He walked over and took hold of the handle, trying to pull the door open further. Nyx shook her head, pulling as hard as she could to keep the door closed.

"No, let me change back!"

"Come on, don't be such a pain in the ass!" he insisted, giving the door one last sharp tug. With a yelp, Nyx was yanked forward along with the door. The handle slipped out of her grasp, and she fell right into Gajeel's arms. She wrapped her arms around him and pressed as close to him as she could, that way he couldn't see her suit. "Stop goofing off," he grumbled, taking hold of her shoulders, and holding her away from him. "You're being…" He stopped. She hugged herself to hide as best she could, but that didn't take away from her looks in the slightest. The gray bathing suit accentuated her curves, which he never really noticed when she wore her regular clothing. It was also the first time he had seen any of the scarring beyond her face, neck and arm. He had never really noticed how much damaged he had actually done. He was disgusted with himself, and yet he found the scarring strangely beautiful. He could feel his face growing hot, and the tightness in his chest. Nyx refused to look at him. His hands traveled from her shoulders down to her wrists. He gripped them gently and pulled her arms from her body. Her face burned a bright red. "Stop that," he said softly. Nyx looked up at him, surprised to hear the uncharacteristically affectionate tone out of the dragon.

"But I-" He placed a tender kiss on her forehead. He then looked away from her, suddenly embarrassed by his own actions.

"You look fine," he mumbled. A small smile appeared on Nyx's lips. Suddenly she filled with all of the confidence in the world. She stood on her toes and pecked Gajeel on the cheek.

"Thank you…" Gray stood silently, watching his sister and Gajeel, his arms folded and a scowl plastered on his face. Juvia still had her arms wrapped tightly around him, and was nuzzling his shoulder, but he paid her no mind.

"Are you two ready or what?" he snapped. He received a glare from Gajeel, and an expression of surprise from Nyx, as if she had forgotten he was there. He felt a slight pang of guilt, but ignored it. "Come on, let's get going," he said impatiently. With a nod, Nyx took hold of Gajeel's arm, and they made their way towards the beach.


End file.
